when you were my father

back to life

Soon her words make sense again.

But the house isn't the same.

It's back to it's dirty and old state.

The kind, beautiful lady in front of me, has turned into something wrong.

Slowly, it's like she's aging decades. All at once, time's just catching up to her. Older and older.

Then her skin starts moving around.

And now she's back to the way she was when we were talking only moments before.

"Hi? Are you okay?" She asks me, concerned and confused. "What are you doing in my house?"

I look her in the eye, but break my stare once I notice the man heading to the back sliding door. He carries a gun, slung over his shoulder. I panic and turn back to the woman.

"What happened to my house?" She nearly screams, suddenly looking around at her walls and furniture. "Did you do this?"

"No..." I reply, choking on my words. With that, I sprint out the front door.

I notice the man running after, which only causes me to run faster.

As soon as I step onto the asphalt street, he stops chasing me and instead seems to be running in the air.

He isn't going anywhere, but the way he's moving his limbs looks like he is.

I still run away as quickly as I can, just in case he starts going anywhere.

*************

I run so fast, I don't even realize that my backpack was left behind. Once I reach my house, I throw open the front door and slam it behind me.

Isla sits inside, drawing like normal and the house is dead silent.

"What's wrong? What happened to your hand" She asks me, looking intensely at my scrunchie rapped finger, then forehead and ending on my eyes.

"I... just... nothing to worry about." I say. She doesn't need to be worried. Not something real to fuel her drawings. Wait, suddenly I realize where I've seen the shed's interior before. "Isla,"

"Do you still have that drawing you had earlier at school?"

"Uh-huh." She says, her mouth and eyebrows curve like she's confused but her eyes flash with panic and fright.

"Can I see it?"

She shakes her head.

"Please?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"No."

"Isla. Please?"

"No."

"It's important."

"No."

"This isn't the time to be an annoying younger sister."

"No."

"Are you just going to keep saying no?"

She doesn't respond. Instead she stands and walks away. Into her room, I hear the door lock.

"Seriously?" I mutter under my breath. Until I see something small sitting on the couch.

I get closer to it and see that it is a piece of paper, heavily folded.

I pick it up and realize what it is, quickly opening up it's many folds to get to what I want.

On the paper is the drawing Isla's teacher showed me earlier. Where I saw the exact same room I had been in less than an hour ago.

***********

"Hey?" A voice calls from behind me. Scaring me like heck.

"MICAH! Oh my god, you scared me so bad." I scream at him, breathing like crazy, realizing it's just my brother.

"Okay? Are you okay?" He asks, concern showing on his face. His eyes find my finger, by now the scrunchie's covered in blood, I should probably take it off. "What the hell happened to your finger?"

"It's fine, I'm fine...I mean not okay." I look deeply into his hazel eyes. "I am not okay."

"Understood. What's wrong?"

So I begin to tell him. Spill my concerns and recollection of the prior moments. He listens, fascinated the whole time, but when I finish his expression surprises me.

"Seriously? That's what's going on?" He asks me, smiling. It's like he's trying hard not to laugh.

"What do you mean?" I ask, looking at him seriously. "You think I'm joking?"

"Yeah, I mean, seriously? Mai Mai. Come on. What's really going on?"

"Oh my god. You are so dumb. I'm not lying! Seriously. You have to listen to me." I plead. But my older brother just scoffs at the idea.

"Bia... what are you trying to do?" He asks, sighing and bringing his hand to his temple.

"I'm trying to tell you what just happened to me. But you won't listen." I tell him, staring straight into his eyes. "I'm not joking, and seriously I'm scared out of my mind."

"How do I know you're not lying? Just want attention?"

"When have I ever wanted attention? Just... come on." I order him, grabbing Micah's arm and heading out the door, dragging him along.

"Before you force me to go to some crack house or whatever, shouldn't we disinfect your hand?" I hear him yell from behind me, but I ignore it.